How to answer "what is your highest certification level"?

[Subcooled]

Now that I remember...

I went to the Canary islands and I decided to do some pretty elementary dives there.

Dive shop: "What is your highest certification level?"
Me: "Cave diver"
Dive shop: "??? But what is your certification level?"
Me: "NAUI ass instructor"
Dive shop: "??? But what is your certification level?"
Me: "PADI Rescue diver"
Dive shop: "Thanks"
Dive shop: "And how many dives?"
Me: "300"
Dive shop: "30?"
Me: praying

Damn, the staff had not even heard of tech certs nor of other agencies.
Thank God I was allowed to do a solo dive

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

@Subcooled

When a NAUI certified friend of mine visited his cousin in Brazil who was a PADI DM, his cousin said "Is NAUI one of those American dive agencies?"

That just blew my mind.

 

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@Subcooled

When a NAUI certified friend of mine visited his cousin in Brazil who was a PADI DM, his cousin said "Is NAUI one of those American dive agencies?"

That just blew my mind.

NAUI
National Association of Underwater Instructors
National?
What nation?

> At least it is an association based on membership and voting!

NOT AN AGENCY

The PADI Dungeon Master presented a valid question!

ps. is PADI a democratic association or is it a corporation disguising as an association? Certainly it has a well defined legal status???

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

NAUI
National Association of Underwater Instructors
National?
What nation?

> At least it is an association based on membership and voting!

NOT AN AGENCY

The PADI Dungeon Master presented a valid question!

ps. is PADI a democratic association or is it a corporation disguising as an association? Certainly it has a well defined legal status???

I won't speak about what PADI is or is not here. When I create the Association of Recreational Scuba Educators, it will be a not for profit association where all members have vote. I will assume the title of World Dominator. Should be interesting how that works out.

 

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I would be very interested in joining this ARSE, and maybe attending an ARSE penetration diver course, if available?

 

[agilis]

Based on my personal experience and observation during nearly 60 years of Scuba diving it seems the more cards a person has the poorer their diving abilities. All agencies are comprised of self-appointed 'experts'. Who certified the first certifiers? I have only basic certification, enough to get my cylinders filled and ride on a head boat during a tropical vacation. Doing a lot of preliminary reading was my only preparation back in the 60s, quite adequate until shops began requiring a C card to fill your tanks.

 

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Based on my personal experience and observation during nearly 60 years of Scuba diving

Respect

it seems the more cards a person has the poorer their diving abilities.

Oh ****!

All agencies are comprised of self-appointed 'experts'. Who certified the first certifiers?

I have no role in dive certifications, though I did create the Finnish certification system for cavers and I started issuing caving certificates. Bootstrapped it all. Yeah, I may be ****, but I am better than the students Gotta start somewhere. So, who certified the first certifier? Nobody! Or myself! But a relevant question is: what do the certificates say? Is it all true?

Our certificates are nothing but signed letters telling ẃhat the course comprised and what people were taught.

I have only basic certification, enough to get my cylinders filled and ride on a head boat during a tropical vacation. Doing a lot of preliminary reading was my only preparation back in the 60s, quite adequate until shops began requiring a C card to fill your tanks.

I had to get a bunch of certifications to attend three relevant courses. You cannot become a certified cave diver before getting a rescue diver cert (although rescuing an unconscious person from a cave is more like a fairy tale). Maybe this has something to do with the average skill set of PADI certified divers as opposed to BSAC/CMAS/TheOldSystems?

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

I would be very interested in joining this ARSE, and maybe attending an ARSE penetration diver course, if available?

Well all training first involves wearing a blackout mask to simulate a common condition where the head can be wedged.

 

[Subcooled]

Well all training first involves wearing a blackout mask to simulate a common condition where the head can be wedged.

I am familiar with zero viz but have not experienced cheek squeeze yet. Is this is problem?

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

I am familiar with zero viz but have not experienced cheek squeeze yet. Is this is problem?

Have one's head stuck in a dark place is a very serious and common problem.